Paper folding machine inserter attachment



Sept. 25, 1956 H. BASHAM ETAL 2,764,406

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE INSERTER ATTACHMENT Filed March 7, 1952 5 Sheet's-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR$ Z. Hfiasfiam, 6%ardal7 7205 72, dF/Zasfl ATTD RN EYS Sept. 25, 1956 L. H. BASHAM ET AL 2,764,406

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE INSERTER ATTACHMENT Filed March 7, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTORS 4Z1. #542972 62177, (fimriesfl iZask, 1 F flask, J7:

ATTCI RN EYS Sept. 25, 1956 H. BASHAM ETAL 2,764,406

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE INSERTER ATTACHMENT Filed March 7, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5f v ,INVENTORS J lLHfiasiam,

ATTDRN EYE PAPER FOLDING MACHINE INSERTER ATTACHMENT Lawrence H. Basham, James Frank Nash, Jr., and Charles D. Nash, Alderson, W. Va.

Application March 7, 1952, Serial No. 275,262

3 Claims. (Cl. 270-45) This invention relates to paper folding machines of the type wherein sheets of paper or stock are folded with a straight edge or knife through double shafts to permit scoring if desired, and in particular an attachment for feeding inserts :to a position parallel with the knife where by an insert is inserted in a fold formed with the knife as the fold is being made.

The purpose of this invention is to provide automatic means for dropping inserts into folds of paper folding machines whereby inserts may be positioned in folds of paper stock without changing the stock or conventional folding elements.

In the conventional type of paper folding machine with which this attachment is used sheets of paper or stock are supplied by a feeder into a register board from which the stock is carried by tapes below shoes or plates to a folding position and as the stock arrives in this position a knife folds the stock downwardly between rollers and parallel shafts in which the stock may or may not be scored as desired, and from this position the stock passes to transfer belts and to additional steps of the folding machine or to other folding machines for completing the folds. In some instances it is desired to insert additional pages in the signature or add sheets or pages and with this thought in mind this invention contemplates an attachment mounted on and operated by parts of the folding machine whereby sheets of paper positioned against a traveling platform or back are supplied to a position parallel with a folding knife with suction nozzles whereby the said sheets of paper are carried with the knife into a fold formed thereby so that the sheets may be scored or added in the fold.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forming an attachment for paper folding machines whereby sheets of paper or other material positioned on a platform of the attachment may be automatically fed by suction cups or nozzles from the platform to positions parallel with a folding knife of the paper folding machine so that the said sheets may be inserted in folds formed with the knife.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for feeding inserts to a paper folding machine that is adapted to be incorporated in paper folding machines of the conventional type.

A further object of the invention is to provide an insert attachment for paper foldingmachines which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies an attachment adapted to be mounted on a paper folding machine with a platform having a traveling back mounted in a frame with a pressure roller and strippers positioned to hold inserts against the traveling back, with suction cups connected to a vacuum control valve positioned to withdraw inserts from the platform, with a blower positioned to separate the inserts positioned on the platform and with means for actuating the traveling back, suction cups and control t teg r 2,764,406 Patented Sept. 25, 1956 valve by moving parts of a paper machine upon which the attachment is mounted.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a cross section through a paper folding machine with the attachment illustrated thereon, said section being taken on line 11 of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the paper carrying platform with parts omitted and parts shown in section.

Figure 4 is a detail illustrating the stripper finger mounting carried by the platform.

Figure 5 is a detail showing a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4 illustrating a bearing at the end of the stripper finger mounting shaft.

Figure 6 is a detail illustrating a paper feed gear and dog for actuating the gear.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the insert attachment of this invention includes a platform 10 mounted on a frame having standards 11 at the ends, a back 12 positioned to travel across the platform, strippers 13 and 14, carried by finger-s 15 and 16, respectively, a friction roller 17 journaled in the lower end of a roller bar 18, a valve arm 19 actuated by a lever 20 from a rod 21 of a paper folding machine 22, the lever being attached to the rod with a bracket 23, and a valve 24 through which vacuum cups 25 are connected with hose 26.

The back 12 is provided with bearings 27 and 28 by which it is mounted on a shaft 29 and, as illustrated in Fig. 4 the ends of the shaft are mounted in bushings 30 in sliding blocks 31 and the blocks are slidably mounted in channel shaped grooves 32 at the upper ends of the standards 11. With the back 12 mounted in this manner it is readily adjustable in relation to the platform 10 by set screws 33 in the bearings 27 and 28. g

The back 12 is provided with an elongated slot 34 through which the stripper fingers 15 and 16 extend and, as shown in Fig. 3 the strippers 13 and 14 are pivotally attached to the lower ends of the stripper fingers with pins 35 and 36.

The stripper fingers 15 and 16 are mounted on a shaft 37 which is mounted in bearings 38 on bars 39 stationed on the upper ends of the standards 11 and in the inner surfaces of which the slots or grooves 32 are provided. The stripper fingers are provided with mounting bases 40 and the bases are provided with set screws 41 which retains the stripper fingers in position.

The bars 39 are provided with upwardly extended arms 42 and the roller bar 18 is mounted on a shaft 43 journaled in the upper end of the arms 42. The hub of the roller bar 18 is provided with a set screw 44, providing means for adjusting the position of the roller. The extended end of the shaft 43 is provided with an arm 45, and a rod 46 pivotally mounted in the outer end of the arm 45 with a pin 47 is attached to a dog 48 with a pin 49.

The dog 48 is pivotally mounted by a pin 50 on a side bar 51 of the machine 22 with the dog positioned, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and the ends thereof engage a toothed wheel 52 on the end of a winding shaft 53 which is journaled in bearings 54 and 55, the bearing 54 being mounted on a side bar 51 of the frame of the machine and bearing 55 being mounted on a similar side bar 56.

With the parts arranged in this manner the roller bar 18 is adjusted for the most advanced position of the paper sheet or inserts to insure proper feeding and when the inserts are removed from the roller ba-r sufficiently to cause slack the paper feed dog 48 is actuated to engage the paper feed gear 52, thereby causing the gear to rotate the shaft 53 which winds the cords 57 and 58 on the shaft 53 and with the opposite ends of the cords, which are trained over either pulleys 59 and 6%, respectively attached to the ends of the blocks or bars 31, as indicated at the point 61, in Fig. 4, the cords will feed the back plate 12 forwardly, moving the inserts to take 'up the slack.

The dog 48 is connected to a shaft 62 on which the vacuum cups 25 are positioned with a bar 63 and the shaft is mounted in a boss 64 on the end of the valve arm 19, in which the shaft is held with a set screw 65. The valve arm 19 is pivotally connected to the lever 26 with a pin 66, and the lever 20 is pivotally mounted in a bearing 67 in an offset section 68 in the frame of the machine 22 with a lug 69 that is secured in the bearing with a pin 70. The lower end of the lever 20 is pivotally connected to the bracket 23 with a pin 71 and the bracket is secured to the rod 21 with a set screw 72.

A nozzle 73 is positioned below the forward edge of the platform 10 whereby air is discharged into the lower edges of the inserts to definitely separate the outer inserts so that only one insert is picked up by the vacuum cups. The nozzle 73 is connected to a vacuum hose '74 with a tube 75.

The vacuum valve 24, which is mounted on the valve arm 19 is provided with a trigger 76 and, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the trigger is positioned to engage a stop 77, adjustably mounted on the side bar 78 of the frame of the machine, and the position of the stop 77 is readily adjusted whereby as the vacuum cups reach the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein an insert is adapted to be dropped beside the knife 79 which is carried by an arm 80, so that an insert carried by the vacuum cups is released to drop downwardly of the knife '79 whereby the insert follows a fold formed with the knife, passing between rollers 81 and 82 on parallel shafts 83 and 84, respectively. The knife 79 and the arm 80 on which the knife is carried are conventional and will be found in numerous types of paper folding machines.

In operating the paper folding machine with the attachment of this invention sheets of paper, or stock are fed to the tapes 85 which carry the stock below the plates 86 until the stock engages a strip 87 providing a stop. The stock is then adjusted until the edge engages a stop 88 adjustably mounted on the frame of the machine and positioned to hold the stock so that the fold line is located directly below the knife 79.

With the paper stock in this position the bar 21 actuates the vacuum cups through the lever 24) and arm 19 whereby a sheet of paper, or insert, is removed from the platform 10 and deposited parallel to the knife '79 so that the stock, with the insert therein, is folded between the rollers 81 and 82. In the return movement, as the vacuum cups reach the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the trigger 76 engages the stop 77 whereby the valve mechanism 24 opens the suction valve and the insert is dropped. The paper folding knife 79 moves downwardly with the insert so that the insert is carried into the fold and, passing through the rollers or double shafts, it may be scored, or the scoring may be omitted if desired.

The vacuum valve 24 is provided with a supply hose 90 which may be connected to suitable means for providing vacuum and the hose 74 may be connected to suitable means for supplying air under pressure.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the inserts positioned on the platform 10 and held by the back plate 12, are indicated by the numeral 91 and the roller 17 is resiliently held against the inserts by a spring 92 positioned on the shaft 43.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is;

1. In an insert attachment for use on a paper folding machine, the combination which comprises spaced vertically disposed standards adapted to be mounted on said machine, an inclined platform carried by said standards, inclined parallel bars spaced above the platform and mounted on the upper ends of the standards, a back positioned between the parallel bars and mounted to travel on said platform, said parallel bars having sections on their upper ends and said sections being extended upwardly from the bars, a roller carried by a roller bar journaled in the upper ends of the sections extended upwardly from the bars, said roller positioned to contact the face of the back positioned on the platform, said back having an elongated slot therein, stripper fingers mounted on said parallel bars, extended through the slot in the back, and having depending ends with strippers thereon for engaging sheets of material positioned against the face of the back, a U-shaped frame adapted to be pivotally mounted on the machine and positioned adjacent the high end of the platform, a horizon-tally disposed row of vacuum nozzles carried by said U-shaped frame, means actuating said U-shaped frame whereby the vacuum nozzles engage the lower edge of a sheet of material against the back on said platform, and means controlling the suction of the nozzles whereby the nozzles withdraw a sheet of material from the platform and deposit said sheet of material into a folding operation of the machine as the U-shaped frame is actuated.

2. In an insert attachment for use on a paper folding machine, the combination which comprises spaced vertically disposed standards adapted to be mounted on said machine, an inclined insert carrying platform mounted on said standards, inclined parallel bars spaced above the platform and mounted on the upper ends of the standards, a back positioned between the parallel bars and mounted to travel on said platform, said parallel bars having vertically disposed sections extended upwardly from their upper ends, a roller carried by a roller bar journaled in the upper ends of said sections of the parallel bars and positioned to contact the face of the back mounted on the platform, said back having an elongated slot therein, stripper fingers mounted on said parallel bars, extended through the slot in the back, and having depending ends with strippers thereon for engaging inserts positioned against the face of the back, nozzles for discharging air under pressure upwardly against lower edges of inserts on the platform, said nozzles being positioned across the upper end of the platform, a U-shaped frame adapted to be pivotally mounted on the machine and positioned adjacent the high end of the platform, a horizontally disposed row of vacuum nozzles carried by said U-shaped frame, means actuating said U-shaped frame whereby the vacuum nozzles engage the lower edge of an insert positioned against the back on said platform, and means controlling the suction of the nozzles as the U-shaped frame is actuated whereby the nozzles withdraw an insert from the platform and deposit the insert into a folding operation of the machine.

3. In an insert attachment for use on a paper folding machine, the combination which comprises spaced vertically disposed standards adapted to be mounted on said machine, an inclined insert carrying platform mounted on said standards, inclined parallel bars spaced above the platform and mounted on the upper ends of the standards, a back positioned between the parallel bars and mounted to travel on said platform, said parallel bars having vertically disposed sections extended upwardly from their upper ends, a roller carried by a roller bar journaled in the upper ends of the sections extended upwardly from the parallel bars and positioned to contact the face of the back mounted on the platform, said back having an elongated slot therein, stripper fingers adjustably mounted on the parallel bars, extended through the slot in the back, and having depending ends with strippers thereon, said stripper fingers being positioned whereby the strippers engage inserts on the platform and positioned against the back, means extended across the high end of the platform for discharging air upwardly into inserts leaving the platform, a U-shaped frame adapted to be pivotally mounted on the machine and positioned adjacent the high end of the platform, a horizontally disposed row of vacuum nozzles carried by said U-shaped frame, means for actuating said U-shaped frame whereby the vacuum nozzles engage the lower edge of an insert positioned on the platform, a ratchet actuated by said U-shaped frame for feeding the back upwardly on said platform, and means controlling the suction of the nozzles whereby as the U-shaped frame is actuated the nozzles withdraw an insert from the platform, depositing said insert into a folding operation of the machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Knapp May 21, Parker July 5, Cox Sept. 23, Pedrick Jan. 28, Bullock Dec. 28, Gates et a1 Sept. 13, Gates Sept. 13, Maher Sept. 11, Baker et a1.v J an. 6, 

